1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to interactive television systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for displaying video streams ranked by user-specified criteria.
2. Description of Related Background Art
In recent years, a growing number of personal computers and interactive television systems are equipped with digital video cameras. Such cameras may be configured as “web cameras” or “webcams.” A webcam captures a stream of video images and broadcasts the images via the Internet to any requesting Web browser (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer®).
In the early days of the Internet, webcams were used to monitor coffee pots and fish tanks. Today, thousands of webcams are used in such diverse and important applications as monitoring freeway traffic (e.g., “traffic cams”) and monitoring children at day care centers (e.g., “kiddie cams” or “cradle cams”).
Because of the many video options available, a user may wish to view the output of many webcams simultaneously. In fact, a user may desire to watch the output of more webcams than can be feasibly displayed at the same time on a computer monitor or television display.
Of course, not every webcam provides the same degree of interest to a user all of the time. For instance, some webcams may only be of interest at certain times of the day, e.g., traffic cams during rush hour. Other webcams may be interesting only when the scene being displayed changes. For example, where a webcam monitors an individual's empty home, a change in scene created by a burglar moving into the webcam's field of view would be of considerable interest.
Unfortunately, if the webcam of interest is not currently being displayed, a user may miss an important event. Even if the webcam is being displayed, a user cannot typically focus on more than a few webcams simultaneously. Thus, the user may still miss an important event simply because he or she is focused on another webcam.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for allowing a user to simultaneously monitor the output of multiple webcams. What is also needed is a system and method of ranking video streams generated by webcams according to user-defined criteria. Indeed, what is needed is a system and method for drawing a user's attention to video streams of the highest potential significance based on the user-defined criteria.